Computer



Nov. 5', 1946. N. w. FE-LD'MAN 2,410,437

I COMPUTER Filed Sept. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 FINIIII 5 j INVENTOR.J- NATHAN W FELDMAN.

- Ar-ronuzv.

Nov. 5, 1.946. @w. FELDMAN 2,410,437.

COMPUTER Filed Sept. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. NATHAN W.FELDMAN.

' ATTORNEX Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPUTERNathan W. Feldman, Newark, N. J. Application September 19, 1945, SerialNo. 617,415

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) 3 Claims.

charge is continued until voltage of the storage battery drops below apredetermined minimum, at which time the test is automaticallyterminated and a record of the finish time made.

Computation of the ampere hour discharge of the battery involvesfiguring the lapse of time between the start of the test and the finishthereof, and multiplying such lapse of time by the rate of discharge,for example, amperes per hour. The present invention provides a disccomputer in which only a single setting need be made to perform thecomputation. This setting consists in adjusting the discs of thecomputer to indicate the starting time of the test and it is thenpossible to read the finishing time on the computer and in registrationtherewith will be round the final answer expressed in ampere hours.

In certain storage batteries discharge is at the rate of 10 amperes perhour for a period of ten hours. The rated discharge capacity istherefore one hundred ampere hours. In such cases the finally computeddischarge for any particular battery expressed in ampere hours is alsoan expression of the percent of rated discharge capacity. Thus forexample a battery having a discharge of 90 ampere hours also has ninetypercent of the rated discharge capacity. Therefore the final answer ofthe disc computer may be considered either as being ampere hours ofdischarge or percentage of the rated discharge capacity.

An object of the invention is to provide a disc computer for use indetermining the ampere hour discharge of storage batteries during testoperations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disc computer in which asingle setting only is necessary to compute the ampere hour discharge ofa storage battery during test operations.

A further object is to provide a disc computer which may be adjusted toindicate the starting time of the test and on which the finishing timemay be read, and in registration with th finishing time the final answerin ampere hour discharge. A further object is to provide a disc computerin which the final answer may be expressed in percent of rated dischargecapacity.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as itsconstruction, arrangement and operation, will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure l isa top plan View of a preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the discs forming part of the computershown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in enlarged sec tion taken substantiallyalong line 33 of Figure 1.

With reference to the drawings in detail, the computer forming thepresent invention comprises an ampere hour disc II, a minute disc I2, anhour disc I3 and a masking disc I4. Ampere hour disc II is of largestdiameter, minute disc I2 is of next largest diameter, masking disc I4 isthe next largest diameter and hour disc I3 is of smallest diameter.These four discs are arranged concentrically with ampere hour disc II onthe bottom and with discs I2, I3 and I 4 arranged thereabove in thatorder. Discs II, I2, I3 and I4 are mounted upon a spindle (Figure 3)having an enlarged head I6 below ampere hour disc II. A washer I! isdisposed on spindle I5 above disc I4, and a locking nut I8 secures thediscs in place upon spindle I5.

Discs I2, I3 and M are locked together by a cotter pin I9 having anenlarged head above disc I4, and having legs 2| which are spread apartbeneath disc l2. An arcuate slot 22a is formed in disc I3 and cotter pinI9 extends through slot 22a whereby disc I3 may be rotated through anare relative to discs I2 and I4.

Disc I 4 is provided with an observation opening 22 and is furtherprovided with a series of four openings 23, 24, 25 and 26, spaced apartfrom each other about the periphery of the disc. Disc I4 is furtherprovided with an arcuate cut away portion 21 whereby disc I3 isaccessible for manual rotation thereof relative to discs I2 and I4. Byway of illustration but not limitation, the present disc computer isshown as designed for use in connection with tests performed on storagebatteries arranged to discharge at the rate of 10 amperes per hour. Tothis end ampere hour disc I I is graduated from a value of 90.0progressively in a clockwise direction to a value of 120.0 through anarc of 270 degrees. Thus the value of the graduations increase by 10.0for each 90 of clockwise progression on disc II. For convenience thegraduations have been extended counterclockwise beyond the 90.0 mark toa terminal mark of 87.0 and likewise have been extended beyond the 120.0mark in a clockwise direction to a terminal mark of 123.0.

Minute disc I2 is graduated through 270 degrees so that each 90corresponds to an interval of one hour which is divided into 60 minutes.For convenience the graduations are extended slightly beyond the 270degree range.

Disc I3 is provided with a series of numerals from one to twelve whichmay be viewed through observation opening 22 in disc I4. Rotation ofdisc I3 may be efiected to bring any one of the numerals desired intoView through opening 22. A similar series of numerals is providedbeneath each of openings 23, 24, 25 and 26, and these are so arrangedthat the time interval between the numeral exposed to view throughopening 22 and the numeral exposed through openings 23, 24; 25 and 26will be respectively 9 hours, 10 hours, 11 hours and 12 hours. Forexample as shown in Figure 1, if disc I3 is adjusted so that the numeral10 is seen through opening 22, then the numeral 7 corresponding to aninterval of 9 hours will be seen through opening 23.

To illustrate operation of the computer assume, for example, that it isdesired to compute the ampere hour discharge of a battery from which thefollowing test data has been recorded:

Starting time 10:00 a.m. Finish time 7:30 p. m. Discharge rate l amperesper hour Discs I2, I3 and I4 are rotated as a unit until opening 23 ofdisc I4 and the corresponding zero minute mark of disc I2 are inregistration with the 90.0 ampere hour mark of disc II. Disc I3 is thenmanually rotated relative to discs I2 and I4 until the numeralcorresponding to the starting hour of the test run upon the battery maybe seen through openin 22. In the example if the test were started atten oclock a. m., adjustment would be made until the numeral showedthrough the opening 22 as seen in Figure 1. Discs I2, I3 and I4 are thenrotated as a unit relative to disc II until the number of minutes pastthe hour corresponding to the exact starting time of the test are inregistration with the 90 ampere hour mark. In the example, since thestarting time is exactly ten oclock a. m. no ad justment of this naturwill be made and the zero minute mark of disc I2 will be in registrationwith the 90.0 ampere hour mark of disc I I.

The finish time in hours and minutes is then located on the computer,selecting the proper hour at opening 23, 24, 25 or 26 and then locatingthe correct minute position clockwise therebeyond on disc I2 as theanswe index. In the example, with a finishing time of 7:30 p, m., thenumber 7 is seen through opening 23 and the thirty minute mark clockwisetherefrom is found to be the answer index. When the finishing time iscorrectly located on disc I2 as the answer index, the graduation on discII in registration therewith will indicate the answer in ampere hourdischarge of the battery. In the example, the answer on disc II will befound to be 95.0 ampere hours.

It will be apparent that the computeris designed for use in connectionwith batteries which discharge at the rate of ten 'amperes per hoursince the ampere hour graduation on disc II vary by 10 ampere hours foreach-hour of variation on minute disc I2.

It will also be apparent that the computer is designed for use withbatteries which are arranged to discharge to the predetermined voltageminimum over a. period of from 9 to 12 hours since minute disc I2 andhour disc I3 are designed to cover such a time interval.

It is to be understood that the graduations on the ampere hour disc, theminute disc and the hour disc may be modified in suitabl manner toaccommodate the computer for use with storage batteries having rates ofdischarge and length of discharge time which differ from the specificillustrations herein,

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes may bemade in this invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof as set forth in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

l. A computer comprising a pivot, an answer disc on said pivot havingfunction graduation thereon representing a function which varies withtime, a minute disc on said pivot concentric with said answer disc androtatable relative thereto and having minute graduations thereon inregistration with said function graduations, a masking disc on saidpivot for rotation with said minute disc and having peripheral openingsin registration with said minute graduations at 60 minute intervals andalso having a random opening, an hour disc on said pivot between androtatable relative to said masking disc and said minute disc andinscribed with a series of numerals beneath said masking disc openingswhereby when a numeral is exposed beneath said random opening thenumerals beneath successive peripheral openings will differ from saidrandom opening numeral so as to successively indicate an increasing timelapse in hours, an arcuate slot in said hour disc, and means extendingthrough said slot for locking said masking disc and minute disc togetherand for limiting rotation of said hour disc relative to said maskingdisc and said minute disc.

2. A computer for use in determining the ampere hour discharge of astorage battery comprising a pivot, an ampere hour disc on said pivothaving ampere hour graduations thereon, a minute disc on said pivotconcentric with said ampere hour disc and rotatable relative thereto andhaving minute graduations thereon in registration with said ampere hourgraduations, a masking disc on said pivot for rotation with said minutedisc and having peripheral openings in registration with said minutegraduations at 60 minute intervals and also having a random opening, anhour disc on said pivot between and r0- tatable relative to said maskingdisc and said minute disc and inscribed with a series of numeralsbeneath said masking disc openings whereby when a numeral is exposedbeneath said random opening the numerals exposed beneath successiveperipheral openings will differ from said random opening numeral so asto successively indicate an increasing time lapse in hours, an arcuateslot in said hour disc, and means extending through said slot forlocking said masking disc and minute disc together and for limitingrotation of said hour disc relative to said masking disc and said minutedisc.

3. A computer for use in determining the ampere hour discharge of astorage battery which discharges at the rate of ten amperes per hourcomprising a pivot, an ampere hour disc on said pivot having ampere hourgraduations thereon from 90.0 to 120.0 through an arc of 270, a minutedisc on said pivot concentric with said ampere hour disc and rotatablerelative thereto and having minute graduations through 270 with each 90graduated from 0 to 60, said minute graduations being in registrationwith said ampere hour graduations, a masking disc on said pivot forrotation with said minute disc and having peripheral openings at 90intervals in registration with said zero minute graduations and a randomopening, an hour disc on said pivot between and rotatable relative tosaid masking disc and said minute disc and inscribed with a series ofnumerals from 1 to 12 beneath said masking disc openings whereby when anumeral is exposed beneath said random opening the numerals exposedbeneath successive peripheral openings will differ from said randomopening numeral so as to successively indicate a time lapse of 9 to 12hours, an arcuate slot in said hour disc, and means extending throughsaid slot for locking said masking disc and minute disc together and forlimiting rotation of said hour disc relative to said masking disc onsaid minute disc.

NATHAN W. FELDMAN.

